Well packer



July 23, 1935. D. l.. T. ocoNNoR WELL PACKER Filed July 25, 1934 R o N M,0 0 I L r o m E D INVENTOR 851,1 www ATTORNEY Patented July 23, 193sUNITED STATES WELL PACKER Dermot L. T. OConnor, La Salina., Maracaibo,Venezuela Application July 23, 1934, Serial No. 736,458

5 Claims.

My invention relates to well packers and has particular reference todevices for sealing the annular clearance between the flow pipe andwalls of a well.

The packers are usually provided with a rubber sleeve which freelyslides in the casing of a well but which can be expanded at the desireddepth in the well so as to seal the clearance around the central owpipe. The fluids, such as petroleum oil, gas or water, can be thenextracted through the flow pipe.

Under certain conditions, however, it becomes necessary to raise thepressure in the well under the packer in order to force the fluids upthe flow pipe, preventing at the same time the possibility of a backflow through the packer. Or it may be necessary to force liquids underpressure through the packer for ushing the well, permitting the liquidsto ow upward through the ow pipe only.

. Ivnvordinary packers usually there is no provision made for pumpinguids around the flow pipeand for maintaining workingV pressure ,belowthe packer if the latter is provided with now channels. Packers havingsuch channels have no provisions for preventing the back ow in case thepressure below the packer rises above the pressure in the upper portionoi the well.

My invention has for its object therefore to provide a means forpermitting an unobstructed flow of fluids through the packer around theflow pipe, preventing at the same time any possibility of a back flow ifthe pressure above the packer drops (for instance, if the pump isstopped).

For this purpose I provide a longitudinal channel or passage between theow pipe andthe shell of the packer. I also provide an automatic valve-at theV lower portion of the packer shell. The valve is opened by thepressure from above thereby automatically admitting uids pumped into'the well through the packer. The valve closes the passage whenever thepressure above the packer drops below the pressure in the well.

My invention is more fully described in the accompanying specication anddrawing in which- Fig. 1 is a sectional elevationv of my packer with theparts locked in an inoperative position, Fig. 2 is a similar view of mypacker in its operative position, with the rubber seal expanded andwedged in the well, and with the automatic valve opened, Fig. 3 is anoutside view of my packer, and Fig. 4 is a sectional view taken on theline 4-4, of Fig. 1.

.threaded inside for the lower end of a packer (Cl. 16S-12) My packerconsists of an inner tube I attached by a coupling 2 to the end of aflow pipe 3, the

tube I forming thereby a continuation of the flow pipe. A bushing 4 ismounted on the tube I near its lower end. For this purpose the bushing 5is threaded inside, and the end of the tube I is screwed into it fromthetop. A lower portion 5 of the tube I is screwed into the bushing fromthe bottom. The portion 5 has a bushing 6 retaining a spring 'I pressingagainst a sliding ringshaped valve 8. The upper end of the valve has adouble convex taper tting into the corresponding tapered seat at thebottom of the bushing 4. The upper portion of the bushing is shell 9.The inside diameter of the shell is larger than the diameter of the tubeI so that an annular clearance I 0 is formed between the two tubes.

The bushing 4 has an inner chamber II in communication with theclearance I0, and longitudinal channels I2 connecting the chamber IIwith the valve seat at the lower end of the bushing. The upper end ofthe shell 9 has a bushing I3 retaining a rubber sleeve I4. The lower endof the rubber sleeve rests against a cone-shaped bushing I5 the lowerend of which rests against a shoulder IS on the shell 9. Slips orsliding blocks I1 rest against the tapering side of the bushing I5 beingcorrespondingly tapered on the inside. These slips are supported on theupper ends of flat springs I8 attached to a sliding co1- lar I9. Curvedfriction springs 20 are also at-. tached to the collar I9. The slips I1are provided with sharp ridges or wickets 2| on the outside adapted toengage the inner walls of the well 22 when the slips are moved out bysliding up the cone I5. The outside diameters of the bushings are suchthat the whole device slides freely in the well, only the frictionsprings 20 engaging thev casing 22. The sleeve or collar I9 is preventedfrom sliding on the shell 9 by a pin 23 supported on the shell andengaged by a curved slot 24 in the -collar I9.

The operation of my hook wall packer is as follows.

The packer is attached to the` end of aflow pipe 3 by the coupling 2 andis lowered into the Well casing 22. The collar I9 is then fixed in its50 position by the slot 24 engaging the pin 23. The friction spring 20becomes partly compressed when forced into the well.- When the packer islowered to the desired depth, the ow pipe 3 is turned to the left (withthe slot 24 as shown, 55

or to the right if the slot is made in the opposite direction).

The pin 23 is thereby released from the slot 24. With the furtherdownward movement of the pipe 3, the shell 9 will slide downwardlythrough the sleeve I 9, the latter being prevented from movingdownwardly by the springs 20 frictionally engaging the walls of thewell. The slips 'I1 will slide over the cone I5, expanding until theycome into engagement with the casing 22. The sharp ridges 2| willprevent the slips from sliding alorrg the casing even if a strongdownward pressure is applied to the device. With sufficiently greatpressure the rubber sleeve I4 becomes compressed and expanded until itis firmly wedged in the casing as shown in Fig. 2 thereby sealing thewell. With the well sealed by the packer the fluids from the well can owonly through the flow pipes 5, I and 3. If the pressure in the wellbecomes too low and the ow stops, then gases or liquids under pressurecan be pumped into the well through the packer channel I2, the valve 8being automatically opened when the pressure of the pumped fluidsexceeds the pressure in the well below the packer. The Valveautomatically closes again ii the pressure above drops, for instance, ifthe pump stops working.

Important advantages of my packer are that it can be used under anyoperating conditions, and its operation can be instantly changed fromnatural flow from the well through the ow pipe 3 to the forced ow, usinggas or water lift, these changes taking place automatically, without anychange in the setting of the packer. With the forced lift the pumps maywork intermittently, as the valve closes the passages automaticallyevery time the pumps stop working.

The valve, being placed at the lower end of the packer, is selfcleaning, and any obstructions in it caused by dirt or foreignparticles, can be easily cleaned by forcing air or liquid through it.

My automatic packer can be used for petroleum oil wells with natural owor forced lift, for pumping air, gases, water, or other uids; it canalso be used with artesian wellsin which natural pressure isinsuiiicient to raise water, and where air lift becomes necessary; alsofor various other industrial application, for instance, in salt minesfor pumping water' and extracting brine, in sulphur mines for extractingsulphur by hot water, etc.

I claim as my invention:

l. In a well packer, the combination of a iow pipe, a bushing attachedto said pipe near its lower end, a shell attached at its lower end tothe upper end of said bushing, the outer portion of said shell beingadapted to be expanded for sealing said well, said shell being of alarger diameter than said pipe thereby forming a passageway between saidpipe and said shell, the lower end of said bushing having a valve seat,said bushing being provided with longitudinal passages in communicationwith said passageway and extending to said valve seat, a valve slidablymounted on the lower end of said pipe, and a spring adapted to press onsaid valve for closing said passages, said valve being adapted to beopened by the pressure of fluids in said well above said packer.

2. In a well packer, the combination of a flow pipe, a bushing attachedto said pipe near its lower end, a shell attached at its lower end tothe upper end of said bushing, the outer portion of said shell beingadapted to be expanded for sealing said well, said shell being of alarger diameter than said pipe thereby forming a passageway between saidpipe and said shell, the lower end of said bushing having a valve seat,said bushing being provided with longitudinal passages in communicationwith said passageway and extending to said valve seat, a valve adaptedto close said passages in said Valve seat, and a yieldable means to keepsaid valve closed, said valve being adapted to be opened by the pressureof a fluid in said well above said packer.

3. In a well packer, the combination of a iiow pipe, a bushing supportedon said pipe near its lower end, a shell attached at its'lower end tothe upper end of said bushing, the outer portion of said shell beingadapted to be expanded for sealing said well, said shell being of alarger diameter than said pipe thereby forming a passageway between saidpipe and said shell, said bushing being provided with longitudinalpassages in communication with said passageway, a valve adapted to closesaid passages, a yieldable means for keeping said valve closed, saidValve being adapted to be opened by the pressure of a fluid in said wellabove said packer.

4. In a well packer, the combination of a cylindrical member, a pipesupported in said member and adapted to form a continuation of a flowpipe in said well, the outside portion of said member being adapted tobe expanded for sealing said packer in said Well, said member being.provided with longitudinal passages extending from one end of saidpacker to the other outside of said pipe, a valve adapted to close saidpassages, and a yieldable means to keep said valve closed, said valvebeing adapted to be opened against said closing means by the. pressureof a fluid in said well above said packer.

5. In a well packer, the combination of a cylindrical member mounted onthe lower portion of a flow pipe, the outer portion of said member beingadapted to be expanded by the movement of said pipe for sealing saidwell, said member being provided with longitudinal passages extendingfrom one end to the other, a valve adapted to close said passages, ayieldable means to keep said valve closed, said valve being adaptedto beopened by the pressure of a uid in said well above said packerindependently of the relative position of said flow pipe.

DERMOT L. T. OCONNOR.

